Massive quake hits Iran, a day before Yalda

A massive earthquake measuring 6.5 magnitude on Richter scale hit Hosseinabad village of Fahraj township in Kerman province at 22:12 local time on Monday night, killing at least seven people and injuring hundreds.

The epicenter of the earthquake was traced to the ancient city of Bam, 680 miles southeast of Tehran. The quake was felt in the town of Rigan in neighboring Sistan-Baluchistan province. In a 2003 quake, 26,000 people were killed in the city of Bam.

Javad Kamali, Deputy Governor of Kerman said, “Presently the entire phone lines in the quake-hit region are severed and our only connection channel with there is the wireless network of the military and disciplinary forces there,” reported IRNA.

While Kamali said no reports were received on the human losses of the quake, neighboring town Rigan's governor Mohammad Barzang said the relief teams have pulled out two dead bodies and three injured individuals from under the debris of the quake.”

The quake jolted the country a day before Yalda, the longest night of the year when Iranians celebrate throughout the night with families and friends, usually visiting parental homes.